Amouage Oud Ulya and Amouage Saffron Hamra (collage) photos Amouage©
“The modernity of yesterday is the tradition of today, and the modernity of today will be tradition tomorrow.” — Jose Andres
Photo: Renaud Salmon, Chief Experience Officer of Amouage selfie with Cecile Zarokian in Sur, Oman, courtesy of Renaud©
Strength to strength, over the past decade, Cécile Zarokian has soared from being a perfumer to watch, to a rising star, to a luminary in modern perfumery. Ms Zarokian is not only the perfumer behind Amouage Epic Woman (and a hundred or so other fragrances), she’s an epic woman herself, an olfactive modern master. Known for her opulent and dimensional creations, Ms Zarokian is in her element when teamed with the house of Amouage. Under the creative direction of Renaud Salmon, one of Amouage’s newest projects is, paradoxically, an homage to their past, a bold re-imagining of the exclusive house staple: the attars.
Photo provided by Amouage)©
Once available only at the Amouage flagship store in Oman, these highly-concentrated fragrant oils are, in the words of Mr. Salmon, “Rare, precious, and unique, they are at once modern and ancestral, rooted in a truly Omani tradition and heritage. Derived from natural ingredients and radiating ethereal beauty, they are much more than simple fragrance, they are an intimate, authentic and ritualistic custom; a signature scent of connoisseurs, and a way of self-expression that has transcended civilizations.”
Cécile Zarokian courtesy of the Perfumer
To reintroduce the attars, Mr. Salmon selected Cécile Zarokian along with two other master perfumers, Dominique Ropion and Julien Rasquinet, and challenged each to pair a star ingredient with an olfactive interpretation of the Omani landscape. The result is a set of six exquisite compositions which propel the medium forward while respecting its ancestral heritage: Rose Aqor, Vanilla Barka, Oud Ulya, Incense Rori, Amouage Saffron Hamra and Orris Wakan. With the spotlight already on Cécile Zarokian, let’s examine two from the collection which bear her signature.
Amouage Saffron Hamra courtesy of Amouage©
The images I’ve seen of the village of Al Hamra in Oman present a palate of browns and greens: houses of made of mud nestled on brick-red hills dotted with palm trees. Amouage Saffron Hamra, with its focus on saffron, rose centifolia absolute and cade wood, may well depict the area at sunset; there’s a multi-hued glow dividing light and dark. It’s a stunning creation in the grand style of both its creator and its creative director with a complexity far exceeding the three published notes. The many individual facets of saffron, rose and cade undulate to fill the spaces between the notes, creating accords both beautifully abstract or boldly realistic, such as the sumptuous and smoky leather accords forged from the cade oil. The ultra-realistic rose, neither soapy nor grandmotherly, provides breath and light in contrast to the earthy saffron. Perhaps it’s the leather and glowing embers conjured by the cade oil, but I find something almost mystical about Saffron Hamra. It’s a gorgeous offering which, due to its complexity and powerful character, may benefit from several wearings for one to fully understand and appreciate.
Amouage Oud Ulya, provided by Amouage©
One of my most extravagant fragrance purchases made throughout my olfactive journey was a 3-gram vial of 16-year-old pure oud oil from Borneo. In its small crystal bottle, it sits beside two other crowned jewels of my collection: Amouage Homage and Tribute attars. Amouage Oud Ulya, perhaps my favorite (among favorites) from the new attar collection, embodies much that I hold dear. The oud in this attar smells uncannily like my insanely-expensive vintage oud from Borneo! Ever-evolving, this oud assam is a perfume unto itself: herbaceous, fruity, honeyed, even a hint of ambergris. Add to this a lavish vanilla in true Zarokian style, this attar is enveloping, comforting, magnificent. Fans of Amouage Silver Oud (also from Ms Zarokian) may find that Oud Ulya bears resemblance, but takes the complexity, opulence and performance to an even higher level.
photo courtesy of Amouage©
For those who covet the heritage line of Amouage attars, this new collection will undoubtedly reaffirm your adoration while reminding us that no one does attars like Amouage. For those new to the medium of fragrant, concentrated oils, this collection will also serve as the perfect starting point to experience the breadth, exclusivity and luxury of an Amouage attar.
Amouage Oud Ulya: (2022) Oud, Vanilla, Birch
Amouage Saffron Hamra: (2022) Saffron, Rose, Cade
Disclaimer: This review is based on a discovery set coffret of all six attars that I purchased. My opinions are my own.
Michael Devine – Contributor
Amouage Discovery Coffret includes six 0.7ml vials Rose Aqor, Vanilla Barka, Oud Ulya, Incense Rori, Saffron Hamra and Orris Wakan.
Thanks to the generosity of a team member, we have a .07 sample of both Amouage Saffron Hamra and Amouage Oud Ulya attars for a registered reader in the US, UK or EU. You must register or your entry will not count. To be eligible, please leave a comment saying what sparks your interest about Michael’s review and where you live. Have you tried the new attars yet? Draw closes 4/5/2022
Please read Sr Contributor Rachel Watson’s reviews of Amouage Incense Rori and Orris Waken here
Cecile Zarokian was Michelyn’s perfumer of the year 2021
Renaud Salmon was Michelyn’s Creative Director of the Year 2021
Amouage Epic 56 was amongst Michelyn and Ida’s Top 10 best perfumes of 2021
Amouage Silver Oud was one of Rachel Watson’s and Steven Gavrielatos’ Top Ten best perfumes of 2021
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